Clinical Research Directory

Synergy in Mental Health Care: Strengthening Collaborations in a Shared Care System for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (DSPPea34).

DSPPea34 (Shared Care Program for Children and Adolescents) is an experimental health program designed to provide rapid, guided care orientation for youth aged 6-18 when a first-line psychological follow-up is considered by a general practitioner or pediatrician. The program links hospital-based services and community providers by offering prompt contact and assessment by a registered nurse and/or psychiatrist, with structured feedback to the referring physician. Primary objective: To identify facilitators that support the engagement of all professionals involved in the care pathway of children and adolescents with psychological difficulties. Facilitators will be mapped across five stages of the pathway: (1) intake, (2) assessment, (3) orientation/referral, (4) inter-partner collaboration, and (5) discharge from the program. Results will be used to refine DSPPea34 specifications to inform broader implementation. Methods and study population (primary objective): A Delphi survey will be conducted with stakeholders directly interacting with families and youth within DSPPea34 (e.g., general practitioners (GP), pediatricians, program clinicians) as well as with program users. Secondary objectives and data sources: To describe (i) the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of youth using DSPPea34 services and (ii) their care trajectories using quantitative methods. Data will be extracted from DSPPea34 records via the SPICO coordination file (the tool used to facilitate exchanges between the GP/pediatrician, DSPPea34, and the psychologist in charge of follow-up) and complemented by soliciting longitudinal outcome information from the referring physician based on DSPPea34 follow-up. Findings from this mixed-methods evaluation are expected to guide the optimization and potential scale-up of the DSPPea34 model.